There has been a washout 15 km south of Salmo at the Lost Creek Rest Area, reducing the road to single lane alternating traffic. This update came from the MOT at 5:18 a.m. on May 17. Photo: Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure

Evacuation alert expands north to Ymir

An evacuation alert has been expanded from the Salmo area and extends north to Ymir due to threats of flooding along the Salmo River and Erie Creek.

The Regional District of Central Kootenay (RDCK) expanded the evacuation alert late Wednesday for residents and visitors along both waterways due to the potential danger from rising waters expected in the coming days. Local firefighters will hand-deliver the alert to affected households.

A list of affected streets is included in the evacuation alert posted on the Evacuation Information Page on the RDCK website: http://www.rdck.ca/EN/main/services/emergency-management/evacuation-order-and-alert-page.html. A map of the affected area is also posted.

At this time residents or visitors within the area are not required to evacuate. However, the RDCK advises people to remain vigilant and be prepared to leave the area at short notice. This alert may be followed by an immediate evacuation order should conditions worsen.

“The evacuation alert has been expanded to include Erie Creek and Salmo River from Highway 3 to 2nd Relief Road along Erie Creek, Highway 6 to Ymir, and Highway 3 and 6 to the Junction where they meet,” said Sangita Sudan, the RDCK Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) Director. “For those residents who access their properties off Highways 3 and 6, please check the list of streets on the evacuation alert to see if you are included.”

The RDCK is issuing this expanded alert as a precaution due to precipitation predicted for the next few days. This precipitation, along with rapidly melting snow packs, could cause water levels to rise and threaten homes and roads on the floodplain.

What residents can do to be prepared:

· Sandbags and sand that residents can to use to protect their properties can be accessed at any of the locations listed on the RDCK website: www.rdck.ca/befloodprepared

· If you have livestock or pets, take this time to prepare your animals for possible evacuation.

· If you are not physically able to evacuate yourself, contact the EOC public inquiry line at 250-352-7701 now, so authorities are aware of your circumstances.

· If you have questions about how to prepare for an evacuation, where to get sandbags or other questions relating to emergency preparedness, contact the EOC at 250-352-7701.

· Report flooding emergencies by calling 911.

· Report any new hazards, such as potential flooding or debris flows, to the 24-hour toll-free provincial emergency number at 1-800-663-3456.

· Sign up for the RDCK Emergency Notification System to receive instant notification of evacuation orders. Go to www.rdck.ca and select “Emergency Alerts” from the home page, or go to the notification system sign-up page at https://rdckemergency.connectrocket.com.

· For information about emergency preparedness for floods (including sandbagging) and evacuations, please visit www.rdck.ca/befloodprepared or the PreparedBC website.